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Cross River: Six persons drown as canoe capsizes

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At least six persons drowned when a boat conveying them along with other people capsized in Ogurude, Obubra Local Government Area in Cross River State.

According to sources from the area, the victims were returning from a burial in a village on the other side of the Cross River when the mishap occurred.

A teacher in the village, who identified himself as Ignatius Okpa, narrated:

“The canoe was overloaded. Some people were advised to stay back but they insisted on going and the boat driver who was eager to collect money allowed more than the required number to board and mid-river the boat capsized.”

He also said those who drowned were not indigenes of the area but visitors who came for the burial from Akamkpa, another local government area.

“They came from Akamkpa Local Government Area to attend the burial of the father of their friend. Because they were unable to swim, when the boat sank, the boatman and others from the area swam to safety while the visitors drowned,” Okpa said.

He said divers had recovered some of the bodies while the search for the others continued.

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Okpa blamed the incident on the unavailability of a boat donated by the state government which is faulty and abandoned at the shore of the river at Ogurude, which has left travellers with fewer boats with the attendant overloading of the canoe that capsized.

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